Shattered Fragments
by rainieblack
Summary: She fell in love on the second kiss, in the very first snow, and at the first slow dance. Their love story came to her waves, lingering. He would always remember, her smile a mosaic of light and shadow and her eyes in flashes of colour. BuckyxOC
1. Chapter One

_America, Brooklyn_

 _1925, 3_ _rd_ _October_

When Calida was seven, she moved from her beautiful, flowery homeland to a strange, angry country where unfamiliar men leered at _Mama_. Back then, her young, innocent mind couldn't grasp the reason why her beautiful _Mama_ was crying, didn't know why Mama kept looking over her shoulder worriedly, as she led Calida to the train station, which were almost bursting at the seams with anxious people with the same pensive look as _Mama_.

The airy chateau was traded for a small three-room apartment, and it was linen dresses instead of her lacy satin frocks she wore. Unusually mature for her age, Calida saw the weary lines around Mama's eyes that were never present before, and knew that Mama was perhaps taking everything harder than she was. After all, back in France, servants took care of everything, and Mama never had to worry about the dishes being taken care of, she never had to scrub at the laundry. And so, Calida suppressed the urge to complain and whine and throw an enormous tantrum even when Mama left the small apartment, for hours at end, leaving Calida alone to master English and brush up on her French.

Calida jumped up from the coach as someone rapped on the door impatiently, Calida's mouth opened uselessly, unsure if she was supposed to answer. Mama had given her very specific instructions to act on when she went to work, though nothing forbade Calida from answering. The knocking continued again, a minute later when there was no reply. "Adélaïde! Open the door! " The door of the other apartment on the level creaked open, and a stern voice interrupted the third series of bangs on the painted birch wood door. "Paisley, enough with the ruckus. It's obvious she isn't here! "

' _Adélaïde'_ Calida mused thoughtfully, ignoring the stilted conversation on the other side of the door. _That was Mama's name, wasn't it? So did that mean she was to open the door?_ Her hand hovered above the door knob unsurely. _But then again, Mama told her not to open the door for anyone but her._ Just then, there was a soft pattering of feet, light and graceful, a sound only experienced dancers, only _Mama_ could produce. Calida straightened instantly, turning to look at the small clock on the mantle. _Goodness, it was already five._

"I'm terribly sorry, Paisley, have you been waiting long? "Mama's voice was sweet and warm, and at it, Calida relaxed, the tension she didn't even know was there easing away. And to the neighbour, she greeted "A pleasure to meet you, I'm Adélaïde Francis. " The other woman replied steadily "A pleasure. My name is Hailey Barnes, my family lives down the hall. " The rude woman interrupted snappishly, jealousy colouring her tone. "Too busy opening your legs for another man to come home, I bet. "

Mama inhaled sharply, and Calida felt ire rising in her chest. Although she had no clue what the mean lady-Paisley said, Mama's reaction was proof enough. The other woman-Hailey, bit out, "Just because the man you've been chasing for so long shows interest in Ms Francis, does not mean you are entitled to act this way, _Madam Smith_." There was a long silence, and then the sound of heavy stomping filled the air, signifying that Madam Smith left. "I'm terribly sorry for what Paisley said, Adélaïde, I can assure you that the people in Brooklyn aren't as buggin' as she is. "

Mama laughed shakily, and the door rattled softly as Mama opened the door. "It's alright, Hailey, I'm used to it, as bad as it sounds. Would you like to take a seat? " The nice woman-Mrs Barnes laughed and agreed easily. Calida flew towards her Mama, hugging her. " _Mon chéri! "_ Mama's arms encompassed her in a warmth Calida basked in. "Mama. I missed you! "Calida mumbled against Mama's cotton blouse, uncaring that to Mrs Barnes, she must have looked like silly child, because she had been so lonely the entire day, and there was a part of her that was terrified that Mama wouldn't come back for her, that just maybe, Mama's fear for something would drive her far enough to decide to abandon her.


	2. Chapter Two

_Brooklyn, America_

 _Sunday, 1925, 5_ _th_ _October_

The Barnes household was lively, animated with screams and laughter as Hailey Barnes mashed the potatoes furiously, occasionally adding milk and butter to the creamy mixture. James Buchanan Barnes's-better known to others as _'Bucky'-_ dark head popped out from the doorway, a smile on his face. "Hey Ma, I'm back! " Hailey smiled as her son gave her a customary hug, and she shooed him away laughingly when he snitched a baked roll that had been buttered a few minutes ago. Before her eldest could leave the kitchen, he turned around and winked at her charmingly, "You sure can bake, Ma. " Hailey rolled her eyes as she washed her hands and took out a stack of plates. Pausing in his tracks, Bucky turned, "Are we having guests today, Ma? "

Rolling her eyes heavenwards, Hailey nodded and gestured for her son to lay out the utensils. "Yes, James, I told the entire family a day ago. You haven't forgotten yet, have you? " Bucky nodded hastily, recalling yesterday's dinner, hazily, he could remember Ma telling them the neighbours next door would be coming in for dinner. _"Such a delicate slip of a lady too, all blonde and grace, and her daughter such a pretty little fairy too, no wonder Paisley was so jealous. "_

Bucky was enchanted. The blond lady, Ms Francis, entered their lively house first exactly at 6, bearing a plate of sweet meringues. Like how his Ma had described her, she was willowy and fine-boned, looking like a queen, even in a simple cream dress. Her daughter, however, Calida-his brain supplied helpfully-was as skittish as a doe, even if her distinctive colouring said otherwise. Her hair was the shade of a garnet, a jewel he had only seen once in his entire life, but he deemed it fitting for the almost luminous tumble of red down her back. Two thin braids holding the rest of her wavy hair away from her face, wayward strands framing her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were the most captivating of all. He had never seen such a colour on anyone before, none of the girls in his school had such piercing eyes like hers.

While boys and girls flocked to him, drawn in by his charming smile and magnetic personality, she stayed close her mother, always silent unless she was spoken to. Even then, she spoke quietly enough for Bucky, who had exceptional hearing, to miss. When her mother suggested she _'go play with James'_ , Bucky was very sure her entire face turned white. Sitting beside her on the top of the stairs, with the silence stretching out, Bucky had never been so determined to charm someone his entire life.

"So, my name is James, but everyone calls me Bucky, what's yours? " Bucky took the plunge, hoping that she couldn't hear his heart pounding. Calida turned her head, smiling slightly as she spoke, her gaze warm as she announced carefully, as if she had been practising that line in front a mirror a thousand times, "My name is Calida, it's nice to meet you, Bucky. " And with a sweet smile, Bucky was hooked.

 _Brooklyn, America_

 _1929, 20_ _th_ _October_

At the tender age of 14, on the 20th of October, on Calida's birthday, Bucky made a promise to shaking and sobbing Calida who knelt in the icy ground, a frozen Steve hovering at the side. At the cusp of puberty, Calida showed no sign of acne that he knew plagued the rest of the girls. Instead, her skin was as unblemished as it had been when he had first met her. The only sign of her growth, was the new curves she had gained, and perhaps if not for her lustrous wave of garnet red hair, or even her brilliant green eyes, Calida would not attract the attention of every single drawing the instant unwanted attention of every male in a five meter radius.

So, in the rare moment when Bucky not by her side, instead hanging a long way behind her and scowling darkly as he watched Calida fuss over a bloodied Steve, was the moment that would haunt Calida and Bucky's nightmares for a long, _long_ time to come. In a flash, someone had snagged her arm, yanking her sharply to the side and into the dark alleys. Rank and stale, the rancid smell of beer washed over Calida's face and she felt hands roving over body, yanking at Bucky's white button-down that she had sneakily filched, snapping off more half of the buttons.

Fear ran through her veins, blocking out every sound, including the screams she didn't know was escaping through her lips, frantically struggling against the man's strong grip. In that moment, two things happened at once, one, was Bucky's shoes, brown oxfords that he'd loved so much entering her vision, and two, was the overwhelming urge _togethimoff,ohgodsgethimoff_ , the jumble of words only had one meaning behind them, and it was just for him to-

 _"_ _STOP"_

Bucky was beside her in an instant, slipping his rather formal wool cashmere coat over her shoulders, and hefting a whimpering Calida into his arms, gesturing for a pale-faced Steve follow him. Warm arms wrapped loosely around his neck. In that precise moment, Bucky made a promise to himself and to Calida, a promise that would span across time.

"It's gonna be alright, _'Lida_ , I've got you, and I always will."

 _Brooklyn, America, Golden-Shields Gym_

 _1935, 8_ _th_ _September_

The repeated, rhythmic slap of flesh against the boxing bag filled the otherwise silence of the near-empty gym. Bucky had introduced the Golden-Shields Gym to her shortly after her 16h birthday, where he gave her a crash-course on basic self-defence. He certainly did _not_ expect for Calida to fall completely in love with hand-to-hand combat. Whilst the males had been sceptical and perverted about such a fine-boned _girl_ fighting in the gym, an round against Bucky, whom she matched evenly, shut all their sexist innuendos up. Pausing in her brutal assault on the poor sand-filled bag, Calida slid to her knees, briefly wishing that she could punch away the sudden gaping hole in her chest where her heart used to be. A month ago, on her birthday, the exact moment she was born, her unusually high body heat had sky—rocketed, until her head pounded with every jostle of Bucky's arms.

She had only remembered the night briefly, everything slipping through her fingers fine sand. Bucky's worried face hovering above hers, his repeated assurances that she would be fine, her _Mama_ pacing about worriedly after she forced Bucky out, a cool cloth being pressed to her forehead, and a soft kiss to her cheek. Then, darkness, an all-encompassing darkness that swallowed her whole. The next morning, Calida learnt of the terrible truth.

Mama was gone.

In the still of the night, she had snuck away, every single one of her possessions gone. The only three signs that Adélaïde Francis even existed was the letter on her beside table, Bucky and his family's memories and Calida's presence. In the letter, her Mama had explained everything in full detail, the truth sending Calida into a brief panic attack.

 _My dearest Calida_

 _I know that you must be terribly confused, as I had been. My darling, the first thing you must know, is that I love you, with all of my heart, therefore, I have made this terrible decision. It is terrible, yes, but necessary. Next, I wish to tell you that I've lived with trusting none for two decades before your birth, Calida, and it was the most strenuous thing I've done. Trusting Hailey with this terrible secret has relieved me, for the first time in my life, and I can sleep assured that I have left you in the best hands possible. My advice for you is to find someone you trust implicitly and let them share the burden of your blessing._

 _Firstly, for the truth. Calida, you are a descendant of a couple, who was blessed by Venus, a long fallen Roman goddess of the old. This curse, or blessing, depending on how you see it, has been passed down from generation to generation, all born from even the most diluted blood bearing the gift. Only a select few get to wield, and that is Charmspeak, the ability to convince anyone to yield to your command, a fearsome gift indeed._

 _You were born just as Venus evolved into an evening star, on the 20_ _th_ _of October, Calida, that makes your gift more powerful. Instead of experience the normal symptoms, of elevated body temperature, you had a full-blown fever, highlighting just how powerful you are. Do you remember when you were fourteen and when that incident took place? I do not wish to dredge up bad memories, but even then, you used Charmspeak, even when twenty was when you should be developing that gift._

 _Do you know why we travelled all the way to America, Mon chéri? It was because a terrible group, Hydra discovered of our presence, they desired to keep us in a cage, just like how they would treat animals. The only reason why we escaped was because I Charmspoke people to forget of our existence. However, it seems as though I've missed one out. They cannot find out of our existence, my darling, you must understand, or they will hunt you down like an animal. I know that you feel so very hurt, Mon chéri, but I trust that you will understand when you have calmed._

 _Forever loving you,_

 _Your Mama._

The first thing Calida did after reading the letter was to tell Bucky. Mama's letter had said to tell someone she trusted implicitly, so, after she had awakened from a seemingly eternity of sobbing, she had told him through shuddering shakes of her shoulders, trying desperately to catch her breath. All her emotions were spent, and Calida was simply too tired to feel anything, so, she had pushed the fact that Mama was going to be gone for a long, _long_ time to the back of her mind, simply quite numb to it all.

Bucky, of course, had responded to her Charmspeak rather flippantly, and with a cheeky smile, asked if he could move over. That, of course, had led to a rather weak punch to his arm, as Calida saw from the creases in his forehead how worried he was about her. Resting her head on his shoulder, Calida mumbled sleepily against his neck.

"Thanks for being here, Buckster."

"I gotcha Doll-face, I always will. I promised you that, didn't I? "


End file.
